Swinging headlight-bracket



J. BROWNING.

swmsme HEADLIGHT BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED -1uu1 27, ms.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I,

a x; vs d JLBROWNING.

swmeme HEADLIGHT BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, I918.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J0 razuzzz y,

J. BROWNING.

SWINGINYG HEADLIGHT BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21. 1918.

1,332,026. Patented Feb. 24,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- JOHN BROWNING, OF ASHAWAY, BHODE iSLAND.

SWINGING HEADLIGHT-BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 27, 1918. Serial No. 247,029.

Z '0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN BROWNING, a 1

citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ashaway, in the county of Washington and State of Rhode Island, have in vented new anl useful Improvements in Swinging l-Ieadlight-Brackets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends generallyimprovements in that class of inventions known as illuminations and more particularly has reference to a swinging head light 1 bracket for trolley cars, locomotives, etc.

t is the primary aim and object of the present invention to provide a device of the above character designed to be operably mounted either on the dash of a trolley car or on the top of a locomotive boiler and capa: ble of being manually operable by the-motorman or the engineer for shifting the head 1 light in various positions of angular adjust-' ment so that the rays from the light will be directed in a corresponding direction and enable the motorman or engineer to'readily discern objects in advance of the trolley or locomotive.

It is an equally important object of this invention to provide a device of the above mentioned character wherein improved cooperating oscillatory and swinging parts are employed in conjunction with the head light so that upon operation of either or both of the actuating means for the supports the head light will be swung or swung and tilted simultaneously, thus enabling the motorman or engineer to direct the rays of the head light 1n various directions.

As an additional object, this invention embraces the provision of a head l ght support of the character mentioned wherein 11nproved cooperating means is'employed for clamping the head light'on the swinging supporting plate, improved means being also employed in conjunction therewith for releasably locking the head light'against accidental displacement from the supporting plate.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a head light support of the above mentioned character designed so that both the operating or adjusting means for the oscillatory supporting tilted, or else plate and .the swinging supporting plate will be removably locked against actuation.

As a further improvement, this invention may be said to reside in the provision of resilient means for cooperating with the actu- Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

ating or operating means for the swinging and oscillatory supporting plate for normally holdingthe latter in a substantially stationary position so that the rays from the head light will be directly in advance of the trolley car or locomotive.

It 1s a more specificobject of this invention to provide improved means for operably connecting the swinging plate to the oscillatory plate; and to provide improved means for mounting the oscillatory plate in the main support or dash of the trolley car.

Other improvements and novel details in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of the apparatus will be brought out more in detail in the description to follow, which for a clear understanding of the invention should be considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and wherein is disclosed for the purpose of illustration a convenient and satisfactory embodiment of the invention. It isto he noted in this connection that minor changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be madewithout departing from the principle of operation of the various: parts.

' The invention is clearly illustrated in the Fig. 6 is an elevational detail ofthe connecting rod between the swinging plate and the operating lever therefor. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of the means for adjusting the locking means for the connecting rod. 7 1

Fig.- 8 is a perspective detail of the adjustingmember of the'said locking means.

Fig. 9 is an elevational detail showing an auxiliary operating means for use 1n conjunction with the operating lever offithe:

swinging plate when the device is mounted on a locomotive.

Fig. 10 is arear elevational. view of the detail shown in Fig. 9. a

Fig. 11 is a perspective detail showing the auxiliary operating means employed in conjunction with the mainoperating levers for the swinging plates when the device is applied on a locomotive.

1m1lar characters of reterence are, em-

ployed in all of the above described views,

to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings, there isprovided a main support 1 which 111 the presentmstance represents the dash of a trolley car (not shown) the upper ed e of which support near one side is reducer and formed with an.

arcuate bearing recess 2 in which is mounted a wearing strip 3. Anoscillatory support ing plate t is-now employed andhas rigidly for oscillatory movement within the recess as indicated in the drawings. Aretainer 7 is carried by the outer face of the carrier 5 and lies over the adjacent" faceof the sup-:

port 1-and serves to assure of the retention of'the plate Lagainst accidental displacementand the lower edge of-this-retainer is cut in, an arcuate form as indicatedby the nui'neral 8 for a purpose that willpresently appear.

A swinging supporting plate 9 is now employed and is used in congunction with the oscillatory plate a. In operably connecting the plate 9 to-the plate 4 a plurality of bars 10 are provided, tie respective ends thereof being pnotally connected through the instrumentality of hinges 11 to the adjacent faces of the plates9 and .4 andcooperate with the bars 10 in supporting and'bracing as well as swingingly connecting the plate 9 with respect to the plate 4.

As intimated, improved means have been .provided for detachably mounting a head light.12on the swinging supporting plate 9.

In reducing this feature of the invention to ractice pairs of opposed bracket arms 13 liave their inner angularly bent ends secured to the side edges and rear face-0f theplate 9 through the instrumentality of fasteners 14: while a lever 15has its upper end pivotallyconnected to the outer endof each of the upper bracket arms 13 while the lower 1 end terminates inia handle. 1-6 which is'designed for removable engagement with a form, the vertices of each of which are connotched retaining disk 17 carried by the V outer end of eachof the lower bracket arms 13; Cooperating with the bracket arms are opposed clamps 18 designed in a V-shaped nected for horizontal movement to the opposite side edges of the plate 9 between the bracket arms 13' through the medium of. hinges 19 while the outer ends terminate in flanges-20 designed for engagement withthe outer ed e of thehead. light as indicated in Fig. 3. ach clam is formed with an arcuate cross bar 21 w iile a bolt 22 isslidably arrangedthrough the adjacent-cross bar 2 beingprevented from displacen'ient by anut 23. Suitable resilient means such ascoil springs 24 are arranged about thebolts and exert a tension so as to normally hold .theclampsextended. with respect to the bracket arms 13 and consequentlyin yielding engagement with the outer portion of thehe'ad light. As is apparent these clamps serveto prevent accidental movement of the outer portion of the-head light 12 while theinner end-is positivelysupported through the ine strumentality of a bracket 25 which engaged by a hook26' proj ecting fromthe top of thehead-light. Another bracket 27 is-swingingly mounted through the instrumentality of hinges 28-=to, the upperedge of theiplate 9, and in effect serves asa latch forcoopeia ating with thebracket 25 in clamping the hook. Asuitable flexible element such as a. chain 29' is also connected to the upper edge of the plate 9"and carries a snap hook 30'on itsouterend-which isdesigned to be, engagedwitlr the, inner end of: the chain 29 subsequent to the swinging of the chain about the bra-ckets 25 and 27 so as to removably. lock; the brackets and prevent the, 10:3

accidental displacement of the head light from position. 7 1 I In order: to actuate the-- swinging support. ing plate 9 a connecting: rod 31 has its outer end swingingly connected to the rear face of the plate; through the instrumentality of ahinge32 while the opposite portion of the rod is slid-ably arranged through the slot 33 in' the oscillatory late et, while; the, extreme inner end of the connecting rod is pivoted as at; 3% to amanu'ally operable actuating lcver;35. thelower end of;wh-icli is-in turn pivoted to a bracket 36 carried by the oscillatory plate 4; as indicated in the drawings. 1&*

cover plate 37Jis-formedwith a diagonal slotl 2 0 31 and isarranged about therod 31 and has its flanged edge 38 rig-idly secured to the outer face of the oscillatory plate 4 through the instrumentality:of fasteners: 39 so aszto- I maintaln the main portion of the cover plate 37. in-closely spaced relationto the plated andoverthe opening or slot 33 while carried 7 bythe connecting rod 31 a flexible washer 40f -Wl11(}l1,SllClQSJbQtWBGDa the plate-d and, the

cover plate. 37 duringqthe adjustment of t'he' teners such as cotter pins 55.

This slot, of course,- eroperating lever 35.

mits of the free movement of the ro when the lever 35 is being adjusted to swing a 'rod 31 so as to prevent the sliding of the rod. An actuation of the key iscarried by the outer end of the lever and has its shank 46 slidably arranged through an armate slot 47 in the plate 4 while the inner end terminates in a lug47' which is disposed within a casing 48 carried on the opposite face of theplate 4 and removabl closed by against movement consists of a catch 70 a hinged cover 49. By 0 ening t e cover, of

course, access is had to t e casing to permit,-

of the insertion of a cotter pin 50 through the lug 47 so as to prevent accidental displacement of they lug throughthe enlarged upper end 51 of the slot 47 It is'through the medium of this enlarged portion 51 that the key is inserted through the plate 4 so as to operate in the slot 47. A swinging latch 52 serves to removably hold the cover 49 in a closed position.

With a view toward providing, improved resilient means plate 9 in asubstantially spaced parallel relation with respect to the plate 4 so that the rays fromthe head light will be projected directlyin advance of the trolley car,.coil springs 53 are arranged about the rod 31 and bear at their inner ends against the adjacent cover plates while their outer ends bear against washers 54 held in turn. in a substantially stationary positionon the rod 31 through the instrumentality of suitable fas- A washer 56 is disposed aboutthe'rod' 31 and interposed between the cover plate 41 and the adjacent spring 53 while connected to the washer is one end of a coil spring 57 5 the upper end 7 of which is connected as at 58'to the upper edge of the plate 41 and this spring is tensioned so as to coiiperatc with the springs 53 in facilitating the supporting of the connecting rod and consequently assuring of the maintenance of the plate 9 in spaced parallel relation with respect to the plate 4. For the purpose of actuating the oscillatory-plate 4 a lever 59 is pivotally mounted asat .60 on the inner face of the mainsupport or dash 1 at a point near one end. A connecting rod 61 has one end pivot-ally connected as at 62 to the lower portion of the lever 59 beneath the pivot and has its opposite end secured through the instrumentality of suitable fasteners '63 to the retainer Another confor normally holdinw the.

I is disclosed auxiliary operating handle lever 87.

necting rod 64 has one end pivotally connected by means of a .pintle 65 to the upper portion of the lever 59 above the pivot 60 while the opposite end is secured by means of suitable fasteners 66 to the rear face of the plate 4. The extreme upper portion of the lever 59 constitutes a handle 67 and it is apparent that upon swinging cf the handle in either direction a corresponding moveuuent will be imparted to the plate 4. Suitable resilient means such as a 0011 spring 68 is now employed and has its respective ends secured to the connecting rod 64 into ablock 69 carried on the inner face of the main support 1 beneath the curved edge of the retainer 7. This spring is tensioned so as to normally hold the oscillatory plate in an upright position, yet this tension is overcome upon the actuation of the lever 67 when it is desired to oscillate the plate 4.

Suitable means for locking the plate 4 which is sWingingly connected to the re tainer and is engaged in any of the spaces 71 between the lugs 72 on the block 69. This construction serves as a substantially-seg mental rack. swinging gravity operable hook 7 3 is connected to the outer end of the actuating the device from the cab of a 1000- motive when the main support 1- is mounted on top of the boiler and near the front end thereof. In reducing this'featurc ofthe invention to practice, reference will be had particularly to Figs. 9, 10 and 11 wherein a bracket 76 designed to be secured to the plate 4. This bracket is formed with a right angularly projecting extension 77 which isbifurcated to provide spaced channel shaped arms 7 8, the latter serving as a supporting guide for a roller. 79. This roller is journaled on a pin 80 which projects from a connecting rod 81 near the angularly bent end 82 thereof. A clamp 83' is. carried by the outer end of the bent portion 82 of the rod 81 and is detachably engaged, with the upper end of the lever 35 while the inner portion of the rod 81 is slida'bly arranged through a bracket 84 mounted, on a suitable support 85 designed, in turn to bemounted on the engine cab (not shown) The extreme inner end of this rod 181 is pivoted as at .86' to an A bracket 88 extends laterally, from the sup portand has, its upper edge curved and. d elfigned to; form a segmental rack 89.-

the bracket 91 and against the lower hand lever 87, andserves to releasably hold the latter in engagement with any teeth of the rack 89. v

The mode of operation of the invention may be reviewed. as follows: Assuming that the parts have been assembled in the manner described and as illustrated in the drawings, to swing the head light 12 to the left, it is only necessary to engage .the handle lever 35 and shove the latter inwardly, while to swing the plate 9 in the opposite direction, it is only necessary to pull the lever 35 away.

from the main support 1. To oscillate the plate 4 toward the right, it is only necessary to engage the handle portion 67 of the lever 59 and swing the latter toward the right, and it follows, therefore, that upon swinging the same lever toward theleft, the plate 4 willbeoscillated toward the left. Inasmuch as the bars 10 serve to normally sup port the plate 9 on the plate 4, it is apparent that upon thepartial rotation or oscillation of the plate 4 the plate 9 will be moved cor respondingly. It is also to be appreciated that the oscillatory and shifting movements may be imparted simultaneously to the plates so as to correspondingly position the light 12 in various positions of angular adjustment with respect to the trolley car or locomotive. The spring 68 underordinary circumstances serves to hold the lever 67 in a neutral position while the springs 53 cooperate with the spring 57 in holding the lever- 35 in a neutral position. In other :WOIdS, these'springshold the plate normally in an inactive position so that the rays from the head light 12 will be projected directly" in front of the trolley car. To disconnect the head light. it is only necessary tore- .-lease the snap from the chain and move the chain from about the brackets 25 and27 and i also lift the bracket 25 from the hook 26.. Subsequent to this operation, either one or both of the levers 15 may be engaged and the lower handle'portions removed from the innermost notches in the disk 17 and engaged in the-outermost notchesin these disks 7 so as to consequently compress the-spring and assure of the swinging of the clamps away from the outer portion of the headlight. 7 Y 1 In the use of the invention; onlocomotives, the oscillating function is unnecessary, ex-

cept for initially positioning the apparatus.

so that the headlight may be rocked in; a;

owerportion ofthe lever 87 ispivotally mounted. on a bolt 99 which. has one end that the advantages of the invention will be readily apparent;

As many changes could be made in the= above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments. of this inven tioncould be made without departing from the scope thereof and itis intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in tlie accompanying drawings. shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense. It is also to be: understood that the language used. in the following claims is intended to cover. all thegeneric', andspecific features of the invention. herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which as amatter; of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed as new. and desired to be se cured by Letters Patent, iszf .1'. A headlightbracket of thejcharacter described including a pair of, supporting plates, one of which is swingingly connected to the other, one of said plates being mount. ed for oscillatory movement, andindepend ent means for operating the two plates whereby a headlight may have its'rays projected in any direction in a spherical zone.

2. A headlight bracket ofthe character described, including a pair of supporting means operatively connectedwith eachplate,

whereby the one maybe swungand the other oscillated or the two. operated in, unison, for the purpose herein specified. I i 3. A head light bracket ofthe character described includingla pair of supporting plates one of which. is mounted foroscillatory movement while-:the' other is. swingingly connected to the oscillatory plate, independent manually operable. actuating means associated withtheplates, and meanS for detachably holding: the head light on the swingingplate.

4. A head light bracket including av main support, a supporting plate mounted for oscillatory movement thereon, another sup: porting plate, neans. for swingingly con-. nectingthe last mentioned supporting plate to the oscillatory plate, means for detach-1 1 80 ably mounting the head light onthe swinging plate, an actuating lever connected to the oscillatory plate, a connecting rod slidable through the oscillatory plate and operably connected to the lever and the swing;

ing plate, and manually operable actuating means on the main support and operably connected to the oscillatory plate for actuating the oscillatory plate.

5. A head light bracket including a main support, a supporting plate mounted for oscillatory movement thereon, another sup- )orting plate, means for swingingly connecting the last mentioned plate to the oscillator-y plate, means for detachably connecting the head light to the swinging plate, manually operable actuating means operably mounted on the oscillatory plate and operably connected to the swinging plate so that upon actuation thereof the swinging plate will be actuated, resilient means cooperating with the oscillatory plate and the actuating means for normally holding the swinging plate parallel with the oscillatory plate, manually operable actuating means on the main support and operably connected to the oscillatory plate for actuating the oscillatory plate, and resilient means connected to the last mentioned actuating means and the main support for holding the oscillatory plate in a neutral position.

6. A head light bracket including a. main support, a supporting plate mounted for oscillatory movement thereon, another supporting plate, means for swingingly connecting the last mentioned plate to the oscillatory plate, means for detachably connecting the head light to the swinging plate, manually operable actuating means operably mounted on the oscillatory plate and operably connected to the swinging plate so that upon actuation thereof the swinging plate ill be actuated, resilient means cooperating with the oscillatory plate and the actuating means for normally holding the swinging plate parallel with the oscillatory plate, manually operable actuating means on the main support and operably connected to the oscillatory plate for actuating the oscillatory plate, resilient means connected to the lastmentioned actuating means and the main support for holding the oscillatory plate in a neutral position, means for removably locking the oscillatory plate against movement, and means for removably locking the swinging plate against movement.

7. A head light bracket of the character described including a pair of supporting plates one of which is mounted for oscillatory movement while the other is swingingly connected to the oscillatory plate, cooperative head light supporting brackets on the swinging plate, means for removably holding the head light against displacement, manually operable clamping means on the swingin plate and engageable withv the head lig t for assuringof the proper positioning of the head light onv the plate, manually operable actuatable 7 means connected tothe oscillatory plate, and manually operable actuatable means connected to the swinging plate.

means mounted on the oscillatory plate for removably locking the connecting rod against movement, and manually operably actuatable means on the main support and operably connected to the oscillatory vplate for actuating the oscillatory plate.

9. A head light bracket of the character described including a pair of supporting plates one of which is mounted for oscillatory movement while the other is swingingly connected to the oscillatory plate, means for detachably holding the head light on the swinging plate, the oscillatory plate being formed with an opening, cover plates mounted on opposite sides of the oscillatory plate and in spaced relation thereto for covering the openin each of the cover plates being formed wit slots, an actuating lever swingingly mounted on the oscillatory plate, a connecting rod connected to the lever and slidable through the slots in the cover plates and the opening in the oscillatory plate and operably connected to the swinging plate, the rod being formed witha notch, a locking lever pivotally mounted between one of the cover plates and the oscillatory plate being removably engageable with the notch in the rod for holding the rod in a locked position, resilient means for normally holding the swinging plate in parallel relation to the oscillatory plate, and manually operable actuatable means for operating the oscillatory plate in cldsely spaced relation thereto and *otivel iifgithe openi in the q'scilla'tory plate, each of the cover glates 'being formed with -slots,- an p'pe'rati'ng lever pivotally mounted on the oscillatory plate, a conneeting rod through the slots in the cover plates and the opening in the 'os'cillatory plate and having 'its 'res ectiVe ends operably connected to the swinging plate 'and t0 the operating lever,- a locking lever pivotally mounted between one df thehdverf lates and the Oscillatory plate avfld' -r'eniovab yengagea;ble With the notch in foi' holding" the latter 1 against moveimamawasherdisposed about t'lie'ro'd, a veil spring conneted t0 the oscillatory-pl'wteand to thews asher" for facilitating'the Supporting "6f the rddflother cbilsprings disposed aLbbI'lt "the t o'd alld *exe't'ti11g tehion SO asto -fnbrinally h'old "the swinging plates parallel with ithe oseillawry 1 plate, another lever 'opembly mounted on the main 'su'ppoit, delineating rdds-be'tween thel'ast mentioned lever and the osci-lliitdryplate whereby lip on actuation ("1f the. last -mention'ed lever the oscillatory plate 'Willbe 'edrrespondin'gly Operated.

1 1. A device of the' ehamcter' described including a 'main support 'foimed with enercuate bearing recess, 'a supporting plate, an ereua'te c'arrienmounted' thereon and seated for oscillatory 'movemeritin the recess,- a retainer connected to the carrier for preventing accidental displacement of the plate frem the maim'su'pport, a's'wingin suppbrtingjplate operably connected to t 'e oscillatory plate, means for detachably holding the head light on the swingingpl'ate, nrieriually Operable means 'on the' oselllatory "plate and eonneetedt'o the-swinging "plate for actuating the wi'nging platemnanuelly operable fneans on the'ina'in :supp'drt and conne'eted ei'll'at'o'fy p'laite, a' i bloc'k carried b'y the main in pr61cimity t0 the reta'iner, 21 plurajlity 0f Jugs (Sn' tlie block and forming ii substantial rack, a e-itch swing'ingl nnmmted On the retainer engageaible-" between -tensiomd lever for-removably holdin the 

